Effectiveness of Self-Hypnosis on the Relief of Experimental Dental Pain: A Randomized Trial

This randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluates the effectiveness of self-hypnosis on pain perception. Pain thresholds were measured, and a targeted, standardized pain stimulus was created by electrical stimulation of the dental pulp of an upper anterior tooth. Pain stimulus was rated by a visual analogue scale (VAS). The pain threshold under self-hypnosis was higher (57.1 +/- 17.1) than without hypnotic intervention (39.5 +/- 11.8) (p < .001). Pain was rated lower on the VAS with self-hypnosis (4.0 +/- 3.8) than in the basal condition without self-hypnosis (7.1 +/- 2.7) (p < .001). Self-hypnosis can be used in clinical practice as an adjunct to the gold standard of local anesthesia for pain management, as well as an alternative in individual cases.